CHAPTER 14: The Chinese Teacher

Be a math teacher?

Su Yuan had never thought about it before.

But now… she felt a spark of interest.
“Is your school hiring teachers?”

“Yes, they’re looking for both a math teacher and a Chinese teacher.”

Jiang Yuan nodded earnestly, then added in encouragement,
“You should give it a try. If you get the job, you won’t have to do farm work for work points anymore.”

That last sentence struck right at the heart. It was exactly what Su Yuan had been thinking—no wonder she felt eager to try.

Jiang Song, listening to their conversation on the side, thought the idea was pretty good.

The next day, at the town’s middle school—

Jiang Yuan led Su Yuan straight to the principal’s office.

Don’t be fooled by Jiang Yuan’s young age—she was bold, fearless, and barreled her way into any place without hesitation.

It was Su Yuan’s first time job-hunting. Following behind Jiang Yuan, she felt a little nervous inside.

A few minutes later, they knocked on the office door. The one who opened it was the principal himself—black-rimmed glasses, scholarly demeanor, and a slightly puzzled look at the sight of them.

“Hello, is the school hiring a math teacher? I’d like to apply,” Su Yuan said.

“Please, come in.”

In those days, not just anyone could become a middle school teacher—and not everyone wanted to.

The principal looked Su Yuan over, then asked a few basic questions: her age, education, family background.

Sitting up straight, Su Yuan answered each one with composure and poise.

When he learned she had published multiple articles in the Beijing Daily, a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes, along with a trace of admiration.

“Comrade Su, you seem quite young. Do you think you can teach these children well?”

Su Yuan lowered her eyes for a moment of thought. When she looked up again, her gaze was steady.
“I believe I can.”

The principal smiled kindly and pulled out two test papers to assess her.

Two hours later, Su Yuan stepped out of the office, her palms slightly damp, the tension finally easing from her body.

Everything was set—now she only had to go home and wait for the notice.

Jiang Yuan couldn’t stop praising her performance, already imagining what it would be like to have Su Yuan as her teacher.

“Jie, waiting for the notice is just a formality—you don’t need to worry at all.”

“Alright, I’m not worried,” Su Yuan replied with a calm smile.

Jiang Yuan stayed behind to continue her studies, while Su Yuan and Jiang Song started the journey back to the village.

On the bumpy oxcart ride, Jiang Song, worried she might be anxious, tried to reassure her:
“If the teaching job doesn’t work out, I’ll ask around if there’s any work for literate folks in the village. I heard Accountant Zhang is about to have her baby—the village office will probably need someone to take over. You’re so good at math, you’d definitely be up for it.”

Su Yuan quickly shook her head.
“There are others in the village with education, that position won’t stay empty. Don’t trouble yourself. Even without earning work points, I can support myself.”

Jiang Song knew she loved writing and often submitted to newspapers, so after thinking a moment, he said no more.

When the cart wobbled its way to the village entrance, someone spotted them and called out excitedly:
“Songzi! Where’ve you been? I’ve got big news for you—Fang family’s second girl is back! And wow, she’s gotten really pretty!”

At the words “Fang family,” the warmth in Jiang Song’s smile chilled into something harder. Su Yuan’s brows arched slightly—she was surprised too.

Before they could even ask, a well-meaning gossip launched into the whole story.

She had arrived that very morning in a jeep, carrying plenty of packages. She’d even changed her name—no longer Fang Erya, but Fang Rou, which sounded just like a city girl’s name. Her face was powdered white, and if Fang Desheng hadn’t been with her, no one would’ve recognized her.

Jiang Song’s face darkened after hearing this. Without a word, he led Su Yuan away from the village gate.

Back at the Jiang household, Jiang Father was crouched under the window puffing on his dry tobacco pipe, while Ye Qin washed clothes nearby, sighing now and then. The air held a faint bitterness.

Su Yuan walked over to her, pulled a White Rabbit creamy candy from her pocket, unwrapped it, and held it to Ye Qin’s lips with a smile.
“Auntie, I bought a bunch—have one first.”

If you eat candy, your heart will feel sweet.

That was something Fu Mobai had told her when she was little.

Sure enough, the moment Ye Qin tasted the candy, she smiled.
“Yuanyuan, thank you. This is delicious.”

At that moment, Jiang Father stubbed out his pipe and stepped inside, Jiang Song following close behind. Ye Qin sighed again.

The Jiangs had never spoken about the rift between the Jiang and Fang families, and Su Yuan pretended not to know—better not to ask.

Life went on in this low-pressure atmosphere.

That weekend, Ye Jie came over carrying three jin of pork.

She said that with the autumn harvest coming, eating only vegetables wouldn’t give them enough strength for the heavy work, so she’d bought extra meat to improve the meals.

Ye Qin accepted it with a faint smile. She didn’t say anything, but Ye Jie could tell something was wrong.

“What’s got you so down? Something happen at home?”

The incident back then had been big news—relatives and friends all knew—so Ye Qin didn’t bother hiding it.

“Fang Erya’s back. You should’ve seen the Fang family strutting around—just makes you angry!”

Ye Jie’s eyes showed understanding, but her curiosity got the better of her.
“Is she just here visiting family?”

“I heard her fiancé is a military officer. He got transferred here, and she came along.”

Some gossip had a way of finding its way to you whether you wanted it or not, and Ye Qin couldn’t avoid hearing it.

“Anyway, let’s not talk about her. Yuanyuan’s in her room writing—she’s been talking about you a lot lately. Go see her.”

“Alright, I’ll go now.”

With business on her mind, Ye Jie didn’t linger. Soon she was knocking on Su Yuan’s door.

Hearing the sound, Su Yuan ran to open it, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Ye Jie.

She quickly ushered her in, poured a big enamel mug of hot water, and asked brightly,
“Godmother, when did you get here?”

“Just now. Don’t fuss—let’s sit and talk.”

Ye Jie sat down, looking around the tidy, bright room with approving eyes.

After placing the mug, Su Yuan perched on the bed across from her, and they began chatting about recent events.

When she heard that Su Yuan was going to take part in the upcoming military–civilian gala, Ye Jie was astonished.
“Didn’t expect you to adapt so well—impressive!”

Su Yuan smiled shyly, thinking to herself, It’s not so much adapting as being forced onto the stage.

“Yuanyuan, I’ve got good news for you—Su Yanning’s uncle has been found. He’s living right here in town, and his wife teaches at the middle school. Jiang Yuan probably knows her.”

“Didn’t you say he was working in Qingshi? How could he be here in town?”

Su Yuan’s eyes widened, barely able to contain her excitement.

Ye Jie explained, “A few years ago, he made a mistake at the main factory, so they transferred him to the town branch. Looks like even the heavens are on your side, wanting you to uncover the truth sooner. But Jiang Yuan is too naive — I’m afraid she can’t handle it alone. We need someone we know and trust to help.”

“Godmother, there’s something I haven’t told you yet. A few days ago, I went to interview for a teaching job at the town middle school. The principal told me to wait for news. If I get in, I might be able to find a way to get close to them.”

Ye Jie was startled for a moment, then burst out laughing. “My good girl, you’re amazing! With your smarts, this will definitely work!”

Saying that, she slapped the table and stood up, planning to fetch a chicken so she could make an extra dish for dinner to celebrate.

Su Yuan quickly stopped her. “No way — what if I don’t get hired? Wouldn’t that chicken go to waste? I’d be so embarrassed.”

Ye Jie paused, thought it over, and agreed it made sense. She gave up the idea.

Thanks to her arrival, the atmosphere in the Jiang household lightened. Dinner that night was steamed pork — fatty but not greasy, and so fragrant that everyone ate an extra bowl of rice.

In the days that followed, Su Yuan lived in a state of anxious anticipation.

Now that becoming a teacher carried another layer of meaning, she found herself standing at the village entrance every morning, craning her neck in hope.

Finally, one morning, the postman appeared.

“Hello, do you have any letters for me?”

She gave her name, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

The postman quickly flipped through his bag and handed her two envelopes. Su Yuan took them and checked — one was from the town middle school, and her heart began to race.

Opening it, she found a job offer: she was to report after National Day. She hadn’t been hired as a math teacher, but as a Chinese teacher instead.

It was still a good outcome — her wish had been fulfilled.

The other letter was from Beijing, sent by Wen Yan.

Back at the Jiang house, she opened it. It was five thick pages, filled with the small happenings in the Beijing military compound over the past weeks.

Her father and the Su brothers were still as busy as ever. Zhao Xiaoxue was nowhere to be seen most days; a neighbor had spotted her at the black market. Wen Yan called her reckless — if something happened, she’d drag the whole family down with her.

Zhang Lanjun’s foot injury had healed, and she had taken on all kinds of housework. She was far busier than before, and every time Wen Yan saw her wearing that perpetually sour face, she couldn’t help but feel pleased.

At the end of the letter, Wen Yan mentioned Fu Mobai.

A few days ago, he returned to Beijing. Rumor had it he would be staying in the Beijing military district instead of transferring out, and the single young women in the compound were overjoyed, sending matchmakers to approach him one after another.

After all, a young and talented officer like Fu Mobai was a rare find in the entire military district.

Which family’s daughter he might meet for matchmaking was still unknown.

Su Yuan stared at that last paragraph for a long while before she came back to herself.

Wasn’t he supposed to be transferred to the Southwest Military District? Why is he staying in Beijing?

She didn’t dwell on it for long and put the letter back in its envelope.

Three days later would be October 1st.

To ensure the best performance for the program, everyone had been practicing daily. Su Yuan had tried singing out loud, but still went off-key.

She obediently closed her mouth and stopped making trouble.

The day before they were to go to Qingshi, the village leaders invited Fang Erya for a final rehearsal.

It was the first time Su Yuan met her, and she was just as she had imagined — slender and graceful, with a dancer’s natural elegance. Dressed in a military uniform, she looked crisp and spirited.

The village leaders briefly introduced them. When Fang Erya heard Su Yuan was a military wife, she gave her a few extra glances.

Su Yuan met her gaze calmly, without arrogance or servility.

Shen Qing, noticing this, whispered, “Why is she staring at you? Do you two know each other?”

Su Yuan knew quite a few female soldiers in the art troupe, but not this one. She shook her head. “Nope. Maybe she just thinks… I’m really pretty?”